STAR TREK STARBASE 248 1x06 Until the Last
by Man of Trek Lore
Summary: A World Destroyed... A Race Fighting to Survive... A Terrorist Plot... and McGawan and Kim are caught right in the middle of it all....
1. Teaser

TEASER

**STOMA**

The deadly shrill of sirens whaled through the air, as people began to lose control, trying to get aboard the transport. Pax Gul, Second Commander of the Mushorian United Armies, threw his weapon over his shoulder, to hold it just in case, and helped everyone maintain control.

In the background, Gankari City was in flames. The bombs continued to fall, as the once blue sky continued to turn purple. The poison wasn't deadly right away, but the bombs were getting closer.

Second Lieutenant Tan Shul quickly came to Pax Gul, and gave him a solute. "The message got through!"

Pax Gul smiled a broad smile. "Well done, Lieutenant. Well done! We have to hurry and get these transports off the ground."

"Elistar Base is reporting that all of their transports have made it off the ground," Tan Shul said eagerly. "Sir, do you think we can make it?"

"It's almost certain!" Pax Gul said. "Give me a hand!"

"Yes sir! With pleasure!" Tan Shul quickly joined Pax Gul and went to work, helping the people board the freighter.

However, bombs continued to fall. As another freighter in the distance lifted off, a beam from space sliced through the transport, destroying it instantly. Flames and debris began to fall to the ground, making people panic more.

Pax Gul got into the crowd, helping everyone onboard. An attendant came marching out, and grabbed Pax Gul's attention. "Excuse me sir! We are overweight! We can't lift off!"

"You're going to try, Sir," Pax Gul ordered.

"Sir, we are too heavy!" the attendant said. "We'll never break orbit!"

"Yes we will!" Pax Gul said. "Lieutenant!" he called to Tan Shul. "Get to the ship's engineering and boost power on the IDS/SIS systems! We've _got_ to get this baby into space with _everyone_ aboard!"

Without hesitation, Tan Shul ran into the ship with the attendant.

After a short while, the last pleading person was aboard. Pax Gul waited a few moments, looking around. A tear began to run down his face, as he softly said: "Danal..."

Another explosion cued him in that it was time to leave. Without further hesitation, he boarded the transport, and sealed the hatch.

Moments later, the transport lifted off, just as the purple air reached the base. Helpless people on the ground could be seen violently vomiting their insides out, and dying painfully.

Pax Gul turned away, running for the bridge of the transport, just as he saw bombs hit his home city, destroying everything.

Once on the bridge, he saw the attendant and Tan Shul. "Sir!" Tan Shul said. "We have sufficient power rerouted to structural integrety and impulse power."

"Excelent," Pax Gul said, somberly. "Make sure we have enough power for the jump to warp speed."

Within a matter of moments, the attendant punched the throttle forward, bringing the transport to half impulse, clearing the atmosphere in a matter of minutes. As the fire and aurora cleared, other transports could be seen, leaving the planet's surface.

However, also, the attackers were in orbit as well, bombarding the place. Some of the attackers broke off and began to pick off transports one-by-one.

"Can we go to warp?!" Pax Gul demanded to know urgently.

"In two minutes!" the attendant said.

"We don't have two minutes!"

"We can't engage warp drive in the upper atmosphere," the attendant said. "We don't have the sufficient vacuum for the PT engines!"

"Punch it! We're going to die out here!" Pax Gul urged.

"I'm trying..."

Just as the attackers finished off the other freighters around them, they began to focus on persuing the only one escaping successfully. However, the freighter escaped into warp space just before the attackers could finish them off.

So they gave chase...

END OF TEASER

**_On the Edge of the Final Frontier..._**

**_In the Heart of the Federation's most valuable_**

**_Resources..._**

**_One station must protect that which is most dear..._**

**_And, of course..._**

_**To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone, Before.**_

STAR TREK 

**STARBASE 248**

**Starring**

**Bruce McGawan**

**Kaori Nakajima**

**Tao Xan Nu Wing**

**Harry Kim**

**Michael Dallas**

**Doc**

**Based upon STAR TREK created**

**By Gene Roddenberry**

**Created by**

**Man of Trek Lore**

**©2004 Paramount Pictures**

**©2004 Man of Trek Lore**


	2. Act I

ACT I

"**_Until the Last"_**

**Guest Starring...**

**Pax Gul**

**Tan Shul**

**Various Negarani**

**Various Refugees**

**Written by**

**Man of Trek Lore**

**STARBASE 248**

**Captain's Log, Stardate 60626-point _door call chime_... Aw, dammit! Computer, pause recording.**

"Come!"

The door to Captain Bruce McGawan's office slid open, and Commander Kaori Nakajima stepped into the office, looking rather urgent. "We've just received an automated distress call from Planet Stoma." After that, she handed McGawan a padd with the information on it. "It's not good."

A quick glance over, and McGawan got the long and short of it. "They poisoned Stoma's atmosphere?"

"And bombed every populated area on the planet," Nakajima said. "Out of six billion, only fifty-six million were evacuated."

"_What_?"

"That's not the end of it, sir," Nakajima said with a sigh. "Out of fifty-six million, there are only one-thousand survivors."

McGawan stopped suddenly, and dropped the padd. The doom and gloom came over him very quickly, as he slowly looked up to Nakajima. "_Only_... one... _thousand_?"

Nakajima sighed and nodded. "That's correct, Sir. Only one... thousand..."

"Out of six _billion_?"

Nakajima nodded. "Yes, sir."

Quickly, Nakajima and McGawan scrambled into Ops, where he addressed Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim. "Mister Kim, get me the _Gertland_ on the line."

"They're not in the sector," Kim said. "The _Detroit_ has just entered the sector, but all main fleet ships are unavailable at this time. However, the _Gulfstream_ is on her way back here. But she won't be back for several days."

"Dammit!" McGawan said. "Get me a track on that Mushorian refugee ship."

Kim complied, and Lieutenant Tao Xan Nu Wing sat next to Kim, complying to the request. Kim found it. "They're in the heart of Negarani Space."

"Their chances are slim to none of survival," McGawan commented. "We need a plan, and we have no ships out here? I thought we were a fortified fleet! How can we protect this sector if we have _no ships_ out here?"

No one said anything.

"Damn," McGawan gave up. "Ops to Dallas, prep the _Deleware_. Kim, upload that information on the Mushorian vessel and culture. We're going after them!"

"With _just_ a runabout?" Nakajima wondered.

"Your job is to get one of our ships back, at least," McGawan said. "We're going to need it."

Wing finally stepped forward. "Captain! Let me come with you. The nearest ship is four days away."

McGawan shook his head. "I want you to get the _Northstar_ ready for emergency launch."

"But that will take at least just as long-"

"Then cut the time in half, quadroople shifts if you have to," McGawan said. "I need Kim with me on this one. Prep the _Northstar_ and get it ready!"

Wing stepped down. "But, at least bring a security detail with you."

McGawan sighed heavily. "Have Crewman Wesker join us in the hauler bay."

"Just _one_?"

"Yes," McGawan said. "Have your crews stand by to launch the _Northstar_. We'll be okay. Kim, let's get moving."

Some time later, the _Runabout Delaware_ screamed for its destination, hoping to find... something that means there was hope for the Mushorian transport.

In the back area of the runabout, Harry Kim was in the middle of resesarching Stoma's history. On the small computer screen, the planet (which looked very much like Earth in that picture), rotated slowly as data streamed next to it. "How long have these people been members of the Federation?"

McGawan shrugged. "I don't know. I think just recently, though. They had begun a cooperative research project for Starfleet R&D about a theoretical new drive system of somekind. I don't know, I'm not an engineer."

"Phase-transition engineering," Kim recalled. "But... I thought Starfleet abandoned the project because the subsequent damage to subspace would be much more harmful than conventional warp drive?"

McGawan shrugged again. "Again, I have no idea. I'm not an engineer."

Crewman Danny Wesker sipped on a hot beverage, as he sat next to Kim, watching his research. "Could it be that technology that the Negs were after?"

Kim shook his head. "It's useless to anyone. The Mushorians have only achieved warp seven with the technology. It's fascinating because they had _just_ developed warp drive within the last five years. And now they are already at warp seven?"

"Maybe," McGawan surmised, "outside influence?"

Kim shook his head, again. "I don't think so. Their research on phase-transitioning must be the reason for it."

"I think they blew up the planet just to piss us off," McGawan said. "How long until we are within communications range?"

Kim calculated, and nodded to McGawan. "We should be able to get a very clear message to them from here."

"I'll be up front," McGawan said. "See what else you can find to brief me on. I want to be sure we're going to be able to save these people before the Negs get to them."

"Understood," Kim said as McGawan went into the cockpit.

Meanwhile, Wing dodged a piece of falling metal. He looked up at the engineer, who was working on a rafter on the roof of the bridge. "Sorry," he called.

Wing just nodded and boarded the bridge of the _Northstar_. The new bridge design seemed to be coming along perfectly, with new places for duty stations, an elevated position for the captain's chair, and so on and so forth. Newer operations and tacitcal stations made it very accessible to any personell working on the bridge.

Nakajima delivered Wing a padd. "It seems the teams have almost completed the weapons installation."

Wing checked the padd. "Thirty-six new weapons arrays, ablative armor, secondary shields, new rotating-harmonic shields, I don't even want to know what _that_ thing is for. It seems we've turned this little science ship into a mighty warrior."

"How about the engines?"

"That's Mr. Kim's departement," Wing said. "I'm just the tactical officer."

"You'll also be in command of this ship when we go after the Mushorian transport," Nakajima said. "So I want you to get familiar with everything. Engineering, tactical, or otherwise. Got it?"

Wing nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"I mean it Tao," Nakajima said. "This bird has to be ready to fly before the end of the day, or we can't support the Captain out there."

"Understood," Wing said, non-sarcastically. "I'll get down to engineering and see how they're coming."

The runabout slowed to a brisk clip, and hid behind a meteor, as the Mushorian transport, traveling at half impulse, crept by... with a Negarani battle cruiser trailing behind it _slowly._

"Now, this doesn't look good," Wesker said softly to no one in particular. However, McGawan and Kim heard him state the obvious. Both agreed with him.

Kim scanned the transport. "I'm reading nine-hundred and thirty-seven onboard the transport, and two-dozen masked life signs."

"Must be the Negs," Wesker surmised as well. "Commander, how many were on that transport to begin with?"

"One thousand-eleven," Kim read off. "In the message we received from Stoma, that's how many were on this particular transport."

"It's the only one left," McGawan said. "And the Negs are just hunting these poor people to extinction..."

"There are two-dozen of them," Wesker said. "And just three of us."

"And the Mushorian Military is onbaord," McGawan said. "At least," with a sign, "what's left of it. Mister Kim, what's your reading on that Neg warship?"

Kim scanned it. "I can't get anything on it, except the weapons systems. They're armed, targetting the... hold on," he said as his console gave him new readings.

"What are they targeting?" Wesker wondered.

Kim turned to McGawan and Wesker. "Us."

"Sorry I asked," Wesker snipped.

"Hail the Negs, Mister Kim," McGawan said.

"Umm... respectfully, Sir, you're out of your mind. You escaped execution by these people, and you want to try to _talk_ with them?" Kim wondered.

"If you want to live, just do it."

Kim nodded and complied. "Okay, Captain. But I don't wanna lose my _head_, either." Confirmation came through. "Channel is open."

"Negarani Warship, this is Captain Bruce McGawan of the Federation _Ship U.S.S. Deleware._"

A beat. Then, surprisingly... "Captain," Kim announced. "They're responding!"

"On screen."

On a small view screen, a masked Negarani appeared. However, his mask was different – a metal mask, with spikes on it. It covered his entire face, save for eye-slits. "This is the Omega," the Negarani said. "We have been hunting you, Captain. If you do not surrender yourself now, I will destroy the Stomanite Vessel. Long live the Negarani!"

END OF ACT I


	3. Act 2

ACT II

_**Runabout Deleware**_

"Long live the-"

"Shut your face," McGawan barked. "At leat... the part that's speaking... I accept your terms."

Wesker and Kim shot glances at McGawan.

McGawan continued, putting a hand on Kim's shoulder. "Under three more conditions."

"You ask too much!" the Omega said.

"How can you know that if you haven't even heard my conditions?" McGawan proposed.

Quickly, taking the cue from McGawan, Kim went to work, while the Omega was preoccupied. From that, Wesker went to work on a tactical console.

A muffled sigh came through and the Omega gave in. "Fine. State them."

"Condition one: take your men off the Mushorian transport. Conditions two and three: let the transport _and_ my runabout go, unharmed, back to Federation space."

"We do _not_ agree to your terms," Omega said. "You _will_ surrender, _unconditionally_, or we will destroy the transport."

"At least take your men off the transport," McGawan demanded. "They can't do anything. They're defenseless!"

"Prepare yourself for transport!"

"Mister Kim, Shields up."

Kim did so without question. "Shields are up."

"You have condemned these people to death," the Omega said.

"Actually," McGawan said, leaning back. "You just condemned yourself to death."

"What heresy you speak!"

"Actually, it's not," McGawan said to the Omega. "While we were talking, my science and tactical officers hacked your ship's database through the commlink using a type-twelve scrambling method. It was totally undetectable. Through it, we were able to download part of your database, as well as your ship's schematics. We also have our weapons locked onto your..." McGawan took a look at the data on a screen, "primary energy flow matrix? Yeah, I think that's what you call it."

The Omega didn't bother to terminate the communication. He began shouting orders to destroy the Mushorian transport. Kim reported it.

"Take 'em out!" McGawan ordered.

The runabout, just sitting there, fired at the Negarani warship. They hit a vital spot on the top of the ship, which sent energy surging all around the ship. When the warship discharged its weapons at the transport, the firing chambers backfired, causing explosions to erupt on the Negarani's hull. Within moments, the ship was destroyed. Kim flew the runabout around the debris, so they wouldn't be hit. The deflector took care of the rest.

"Good work gentlemen," McGawan addressed. "Mister Kim, take us to within range of the Mushorian Transport. The Negs just lost their ability to transport or do anything useful, because they got stubborn. Also, Mister Wesker, scan the transport's structural integrety. All of us need to come up with a good plan. Need I remind you where we are?"

"I could get a condition report from the transport," Kim said. "That is, if the Negs allow for a—"A change in sensor readings. "Captain, sensors have just recorded the loss of _another_ thirty Mushorian lives."

"They must've tried to contact the ship, or they saw the battle outside," Wesker surmised.

"One of them lead to thirty more deaths," McGawan said. "We don't have time to sit and plan. Mister Kim, get your condition report now."

Kim hailed the transport. "Mushorian Transport, this is the Federation _Ship Deleware_. Please acknowledge."

On a screen, a bloodied face appeared. A scar ran down the strong-looking man's face, which was still dripping in blood. However, he was still able to speak. "I am Pax Gul, Second Commander of the Mushorian United Armies."

"Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim of the United Federation of Planets." The exchange was going well. "How are your people holding up?"

"Not well," Pax Gul said. "They came aboard... they didn't even state any demands. They just started taking lives. The worse part about it... they're _only_ killing the children."

That stunned the trio on the runabout.

McGawan entered into view. "Captain Bruce McGawan here. I need to know everything about the situation aboard your vessel."

"I can't give you much," Pax Gul said. "I am only able to talk to you under armed guard at this time. If I mess up, I'll lose my head."

"I believe you," McGawan said. "Who is the Alpha over there?"

"I don't know," Pax Gul said. He pointed to his scar. "I got _this_ trying to get some answers, myself. Captain, we are a people of love and compassion. We cannot begin to fathom what has been happening to us over the last few days, alone. Wars and things of this such are not in our daily vocabulary. If you can do anything to help us, I ask that you come aboard and help negotiate for the release of the children, at least. They are _our_ future."

McGawan and Kim exchanged glances. Then, McGawan simply said: "Ask your...guardian...if we are authorized to speak with you in," checking a chronometer, "thirty minutes."

Pax Gul did as he was told. The militant in the background, classically covered in a black mask with red trip, simply nodded. Then, Pax Gul came back to the screen. "I am allowed."

McGawan nodded. "We will resume these talks in thirty minutes. _Deleware_ out." The screen went out. "Mister Kim, what have you found out?"

"Pax Gul is right," Kim said. "They are a people known for their love and compassion. Their most violent wars have been to deal with a deadly plegue that has sent entire cultures on their planet into extinction. They shared their planet with five other humanoid species, and the Mushorians have developed a close, friendly relationship with each of them. Wars between the _other_ species have lead the Mushorians to create their armies, and they unified their planet.

"Plagues have killed off everyone _but_ the Mushorians. For the last thousand years, the Mushorians have begun to reach out into space. They recently joined the Federation, and have contributed their phase-transition technology to Starfleet for research and testing. It doesn't show promise, hense Starfleet nearly abandoned the project."

"'Nearly?'" Wesker wondered.

"Starfleet still has an interest in PT Tech," Kim said. "It's just not applicable at the present time."

"It's probable that the Mushorians created the plagues to conquor their world, while delivering messages of 'love' and 'peace,'" Wesker snipped. "I can't trust them so much."

"Regardless, they are in need," McGawan said. "Mister Kim and I will board the Mushorian transport and assess the situation withour own eyes. And we'll get to the bottom of it, one way or another. _Your_ job, Mister Wesker, is to be our eyes on the outside. If anything goes down, get out of range and wait for support to arrive."

Wesker nodded. "Understood, Captain."

"Harry, hail the transport again."

"That was a fast thirty minutes," Wesker said as Kim complied.

"Channel open."

On the screen, Pax Gul reappeared. "That was quick, Captain."

"Will the Negarani allow for me and my science officer to beam aboard?"

Pax Gul checked the question with his guardian. Finally, he turned back to the screen and said: "They will allow."

"We'll be right over," McGawan said. "_Deleware_ out." When the screen went blank, McGawan and Kim got up. "Med kit and phasers."

Wesker supplied Kim and McGawan with what they had asked for. Then, Kim and McGawan stepped inside the small transporter cubical. "Good luck," Wesker said.

"To you too," McGawan said, sincerely. "Set us down on the bridge of the transport. We can address the Alpha from there."

"Stay safe," Wesker wished. "We have transport coordinates for the destination."

McGawan nodded. "Energize."

With the tweaking of a few buttons, McGawan and Kim disappeared off of the runabout in a haze of transporter beams.

The moment McGawan and Kim materialized onto the transport, the sound of arming weapons caught the Starfleeters' attention. A militant, wearing a traditional red and gold-trim mask, stepped forward, raising his Starfleet-issue phaser rifle, ready to fire it at any moment. "Weapons and scanning devices," he demanded.

Kim and McGawan slowly gave them what they wanted.

"Your combadges."

The Starfleet officers slowly gave them their badges.

The militant stepped back, taking out a personal communicator. "Destroy them."

Suddenly, a comm signal came through on McGawan's combadge. "Deleware_ to away team! I'm under attack up here! I can't...._" The comm went dead.

The militant nodded to a guy with a green hood. "Take them below with the others."

As the militants shuffled McGawan and Kim down belowdecks, McGawan could catch a first-hand glympse as to what the Negarani were doing to the Mushorians.

The people were starving. They looked up to McGawan and Kim with some hope. However, when they saw the armed guards behind them, hope quickly faded. A few militants were beating an old woman, and a small child – about six earth years old.

"Do they have no compassion for anyone?" Kim wondered aloud.

One of the guards kicked Kim in the square of his back. Kim went down, pathetically. As he tried to get up, the guard stepped on his back, burrying the rifle barrel into his back. "If you _ever_ say another word again, you will die, more painfully than this. Now, get up!" The guard pulled Kim to his feet, and pushed him ahead.

The guards threw McGawan and Kim into a cargo bay, where three members of the Mushroian Army were being held, including Pax Gul. Once Kim and McGawan were inside, the guards stepped out, and locked the door.

Kim collapsed suddenly.

At that moment, a female soldier rushed to Kim. Her short, blond hair and soft, blue eyes made her seem almost angelic. So did her voice. She helped Kim up to an upright position, and lifted the back of his shirt. She saw the kick mark, and the mark of the barrel. "It doesn't look serious."

"Thanks," Kim said, sarcastically. "But it hurts like hell."

"Lean forward and relax," the woman said. She began to massage Kim's back.

Through the pain, and the warm touch, Kim could actually begin to relax.

Meanwhile, McGawan met with Pax Gul.

"I'm so very sorry, Captain. They used our communique to trap you here," Pax Gul said.

"What happened?"

"They bombed our planet," Pax Gul said. "Murdered our children. That's what happened."

"Do you have any idea what they wanted?"

Pax Gul shook his head. "After they learned that you were coming, their motives changed. They sought nothing but capturing you."

"They did all of this... just to get me?"

"No," Pax Gul said. "You were just a bonus."

McGawan glanced down at Kim, who was now sleeping. The woman had, then, stood up, and was coming towards McGawan. "Will he make it?"

The woman nodded. "He'll be okay. He's in a lot of pain, but he'll be fine."

"This is Mer Ila, Sargent at Arms, and our finest medic," Pax Gul introduced. "You won't find a more compassionate medic anywhere."

McGawan glanced at Mer Ila's face. She couldn't have been more than 16, 17 earth years old. "It's an honor to meet you, Captain." The two shook hands.

"Mer Ila was going to be the first Mushorian to be admitted to Starfleet Academy," Pax Gul said. "Now that our home is destroyed..."

At that, McGawan's glanced turned more serious. "I wonder why you were attacked so fiercly..." McGawan quickly advanced for the door, and knocked on it.

"What are you doing?" Mer Ila wondered.

"I'm a negotiator," McGawan said. "Trust me. I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

The door openned. A black-hodded nothing militant stepped through, arming himself. "No, you will _not_ get food, water, medical provisions—"

"I wish to speak with your Alpha," McGawan said.

"We do _not_ negotiate."

"No?" McGawan didn't even blink. "Right now, there is a Federation attack cruiser on her way here. When she gets here, she will strike this vessel—"

"And we will kill everyone aboard her if she enters sensor range," the militant said.

That kind of put a damper on McGawan's plan. However, McGawan slowly advanced on the militant. "If you do not do as I say..." Suddenly, McGawan grabbed the phaser rifle, with one swift motion, he removed the power cell, took the militant's knife, and held it right at the militant's neck. "I _will _behead you."

The other militants stopped, cold, and stared at the situation.

"Oh? I see I hit a nerve," McGawan discovered.

"For a Negarani to lose his head... is to lose his honor."

"You have no honor to begin with," McGawan said. "Now, I want to speak to your Alpha. Have him come here. If he does not come here in the next minute, I will behead this... man."

When the militants tried to call McGawan's bluff, McGawan pressed the knife closer to his captive's neck. Some blood began to draw a little as the blade lightly broke the skin.

"I would advise you _not_ to put me to the test," McGawan said. "Get your Alpha or he dies."

END OF ACT II


	4. Act 3

ACT III

**STARBASE 248 – _U.S.S. Northstar._**

"Engine start up in three...two...one..."

From the outside, the warp nacells came to life. The empty bussard collectors began to swell with its red smoke. The blue, almost hallogen-like warp coils began to pulse slowly. Then, more faster and faster, until it seemed like one constant flow of energy.

On the bridge, the engineering consoles came to life. Nakajima's face brightened and began to glow with success. "Engine output is at twenty-three percent... twenty-four..."

"If we can get past twenty-eight percent output," Crewman Michael Dallas said, "we can start to switch some of our systems to internal power."

"Twenty-six," Nakajima read off. "Twenty-seven..."

Suddenly, a spark on the console. Nakajima jolted back, as the sparks grew more and more intense. Nakajima found herself across the bridge, just in time to dodge an EPS relay blowing out. The entire system went down.

So did power. From the outside, the engines died.

Dallas helped up Nakajima, who quickly demanded: "What happened?"

"Another instability in the power flux matrix," Dallas said, quickly taking up his tool kit. "I'll be in engineering."

"Geez!" Nakajima said. "At this rate, we'll _never_ be able to get out of dock in time to rescue the Captain!"

As Dallas left, Nakajima headed for the newly destroyed engineering station. She examined it with her tricorder, and found the cause of the destruction. "Damned power surges. How come we can't get this beast operational? Is she trying to kill us?"

Wing slowly advanced to Nakajima's side, examining the destruction along with her. "_Northstar_ is telling us that she isn't ready."

"If the Captain hadn't taken Kim, this ship would be out of here by now," Nakajima said. "But every time he disappears, things start to fall apart. I don't get it!"

"How do you mean?"

"Two months ago, when we went to Earth to bring this ship back," Nakajima said, "I had a situation report six AU long from Admiral Janeway _and_ the Captain. This station was coming apart at the seams!"

"_Dallas to Nakajima_."

Nakajima sighed and hit her combadge. "Go ahead."

"_Commander, you won't believe this..._"

In a Jefferies' tube junction, Nakajima and Wing joined Dallas, as he was scanning and holding a flashlight to a panel. Dallas showed Nakajima the tricorder readings. "There's no way..."

Wing stepped forward and removed the panel. A small whorde of cockroaches scurried away as Dallas shined the light into the panel.

"I thought Commander Kim got rid of them all," Dallas said. "How did these guys get down here?"

"Some must have survived the exterminations," Wing guessed. "This should be pretty easy, though. There's no power in these junctions to scramble any kind of lock, so using the transporters shouldn't be a problem."

"This time around," Nakajima said to Wing, "beam those bastards into space. Crewman, after it's done, start your repairs. I want to be out of here by the end of the day."

Dallas nodded. "I'll try to pull of a miracle."

"I'll be at Ops," Wing said. "Getting the transporters ready to beam the... roaches... off the ship."

Moments later, the Alpha came into the room. Red mask, phaser rifle at the ready, and then he fired at McGawan's hostage. The militant went to the ground, cold and dead. "Now that the threat of him losing his honor is over..." The militant whipped out his _d'artag_, and sliced McGawan's left bicept. McGawan screamed, and went to the deck hard. "I do _not_ talk to fodder," Alpha said. "You will die next time. Let that be a lesson to you."

"You son-of-a-"

"_Still_ not getting it?" The Alpha grabbed Mer Ila, and kicked her to the ground. "Now _her_ death will be on your hands."

When the Mushorians began to charge, three Negerani openned fire. At that moment, when three Mushorians went down, everyone stopped. Then, the Alpha did his deed...

When it was over, Mer Ila's poor headless body was laying in front of McGawan, after the Negarani had stepped on her skull, crushing it brutally. They didn't even clean up after themselves.

From that moment on, Pax Gul was very cross and angry with McGawan. He put them all in that situation – it could have been any one of them. So the Mushorians kept away from Kim and McGawan, altogether.

"'Loving and Compassionate' people my a-"

"Save your strength, Commander," McGawan ordered. "We're going to get out of this one way or another. What was our analysis of this vessel?"

"Deflector doubles as a shield emitter," Kim said. "Very inefficient. Take out the deflector, take out the shields... and every particle of space dust smashes into the ship, instantly killing everyone aboard."

"Can we deactivate the shield subroutine?" McGawan wondered.

Kim shrugged. "If the Negarani hacked into the system, and they _are_ brilliant hacks, then I don't think we can do anything about it."

"We can counter-hack them," McGawan said.

"Forget it!" Pax Gul shouted. "You're going to get more of us killed. We won't be part of, nor will we _let_ you do something stupid again."

"You want to live?" McGawan demanded to know. "Because if you do, then you can help us out greatly."

"We want you to leave us alone!" Pax Gul said. "When your ship gets here, escape for the two of you and leave us be. We are joining the Negarani."

McGawan slowly rose. "You're... not joking... are you?"

"Better to live than to die at the hands of beings who kill because of incompitant Federation Officials. It's the Federation's presence here that resulted in the Negarani destroying our world, killing our people. It's the Federation that took yet another one of our children from us," Pax Gul surmised.

"It's the Negarani who are committing _GENOCIDE!_" McGawan argued. "How could you side with a people who commit such a disgusting crime?"

"If it wasn't for the Federation, the Negarani would _not_ be doing such things," Pax Gul said. With that, he went to the door and began to bang on it.

"You're going to be killed!" McGawan called out.

Finally, the door openned. When the militant came in, Pax Gul knelt down on the ground. "I wish to speak to your Alpha as loyal subjects of the Negarani," he instantly said.

When all the Mushorians knelt as well, the militant considered it. Leaving the door open, he went to get the Alpha.

Kim to McGawan's ear: "They're falling for another deception. The Negarani don't want subjects."

"All they want is a body count," McGawan said as they looked on.

"How can you two be so cold about it?" a Mushorian demanded to know. A teenage boy.

"We know the Negarani," McGawan said. "Watch what happens to those who pledge 'loyalty' to them."

A moment later, the Alpha came in. He put a hand on Pax Gul's shoulder, and said: "Rise... my... 'subjects'."

The Mushorians rose. But, the Alpha's strength kept Pax Gul on the ground. At that moment, Pax Gul's head was being carved off by other Militants.

And the Alpha shot that same teenaged boy. "Know this!" The Alpha said. "The Negarani don't need subjects! Play stupid again and we destroy all of you! Be lucky that we aren't doing so now. LONG LIVE THE NEGARANI!"

And with that, they gave Pax Gul's head the same treatment as the medic, and they walked off.

"I think I got it," Dallas shouted from the helm. "Activating the primary power junction."

As he did so, the bridge came to life. The lights lit up. Every console activated. And Nakajima read off the power readings. "Engine output at twenty-five...twenty-six percent..."

"C'mon baby," Dallas cheered on in a low mumble.

"Twenty-seven percent..."

"This is where we went out last time," Wing reminded.

Suddenly...

"Twenty-eight percent!" Nakajima declared.

"Switching junctions alpha through delta to internal power," Dallas said, slowly switching over the systems to the ship's own power. And now... the _Northstar_ was truly independent. "She's ready to leave mom's house I think."

Nakajima nodded in approval. "Excelent work. Tao, I want a briefing on the current situation in the next few minutes. Then I want you out of my drydock and on your way."

"We haven't even installed the new weapons' systems yet..."

"How much do we have installed?" Nakajima wondered.

"Ten...percent..."

"And that gives us... what?"

Wing paused before saying: "Standard...compliament."

"It'll have to do," Nakajima said. "Get that briefing together. You're both going out in an hour."

"Two more dead," McGawan said to no one in particular. "All for what?"

The cargo hold was much quieter now than it was a while ago. First, hopeful. Then, angry. Now, somber and silent. This crowd has been through so much recently. Not a very good sign of things...

"I want to try something," McGawan said. "I'm going to need you to do something you may not like to do, Harry. Are you going to be able to do it?"

"What...?" Then, seeing McGawan's eyes, Kim realized what he might have in mind. "No... you are going to... no way!"

"Have any other bright ideas?"

"But... that's..."

"They use beheading as a sign of dominance, much like terrorists of post-Eugenics Wars Earth did back in the early 21st century," McGawan said. "We need to establish an upper hand in this situation if we're going to get out of it alive."

"You saw what happened the last time you took a hostage," Kim said. "It backfired."

"First thing's first," McGawan said. "We need to get to the bridge somehow and take out the main deflector. To do that, we need an edge."

"And taking a hostage will give you that edge?"

"Got any other ideas?"

Kim shook his head. Though, he did say: "I don't know. We could wait for the _Northstar_ to get here."

"Can't risk waiting," McGawan said. "We've got to get out of this situation _now_. We have no time left."

Kim sighed heavily. "What do you need me to do?"

"Should I fail," McGawan said, "I want you to kill me."

"Me?"

"I won't let those bastards take my head off while I'm still breathing," McGawan declared. "That's an order."

Kim slowly nodded and accepted. "Understood..."

With that, McGawan pounded on the cargobay door. Only this time, there was no answer. So he did so again.

Suddenly, the door flew open. A militant came rushing in, blade drawn. As he charged McGawan, Kim jumped him from behind. As the Mushorians looked on, McGawan clubbed the militant as Kim closed the door.

"You're _not_ going to behead him now, are you?" Kim demanded to know.

"No, not yet," McGawan said, turning the militant's half-unconscious form over. He removed the mask to reveal... "Wait a minute," McGawan said, glancing at the Negarani's face. "I _know_ you!"

END OF ACT III


	5. Act 4CreditsPreview

- 12 -

ACT IV

Kim couldn't place it, but he did see the Negarani's real face somewhere before too. "Weren't you with..."

"J'dan!" McGawan called out. "You're Secretary Deputy J'dan for Soliel's Cabinet!"

The militant said nothing. His black hair settled to the deck, as his Elani features came through on the light. "_Ex_ Secretary Deputy," J'dan corrected. "I retired after Elan left the Federation."

"Does Soliel know the Negarani are Elani?" Kim wondered.

J'dan shook his head. "I'm not answering your questions!"

"I spent some time on Elan during the Dominion War," McGawan recalled. "Negarani...Elani..."

"It's the name of an ancient tribe from my world," J'dan said. "We ruled the galaxy at one point in history. When the _Federation_ came... our time was done."

"We can get a history lesson at your interrogation," McGawan said, hoisting J'dan up to his feet. "You're coming with us." And with that, he put J'dan's _d'artag_ to J'dan's throat. "Or we'll cut your head off. Mister Kim!"

Kim openned the door. "Take us to your leader." _Wow, that sounded so 1920's_, Kim thought, as McGawan lead J'dan to the bridge.

The guards automatically stepped aside as McGawan lead a maskless, bleeding-from-the-neck J'dan into the bridge room of the transport. There, the Negarani Alpha turned slowly and almost chuckled. "You are persistant, Captain. And strong. You would do well in the Negarani."

"Save it," McGawan said. "It's over."

"I don't think so," the Alpha said, holding up a remote control. "This is a control padd, which controls six sticks of powerful tricobalt explosives, which are attached to the warp core. If you don't let this man go, I will blow us all away."

"You won't let this man die without his honor, would you?" McGawan said, piercing the knife just enough to draw blood from J'dan's neck. J'dan didn't squirm but met his coming fate head-on... so to speak.

"If he were to die without his honor," the Alpha said, "it will _not_ be at your hands."

A proximity signal sounded. Two other guards checked the sensors, and reported to the Alpha.

Then, the Alpha turned to McGawan. The Alpha shot, and killed, J'dan, and was left with McGawan to deal with. "Now that it doesn't matter anymore," the Alpha said, he activated the control padd. As McGawan charged, three guards held him down. "When your vessel enters into transporter range, there will be no one to rescue. This ship will go up in... three minutes."

"Four minutes to intercept," Dallas reported at the helm.

"C'mon!" Wing said, as he stepped out of the command chair, and came up right behind Dallas. "Go to warp point-eight."

"Increasing speed," Dallas said, using the warp drive to propell the ship. "Two minutes, forty-eight seconds to intercept."

Wing hit his combadge. "Bridge to sickbay, prepare to receive casualties. Transporter room, standby to beam aboard survivors."

A new group of readings appeared. "We've got a problem," Dallas said. "I'm picking up a massive buildup in the Mushorian's engine core. Consistent with a tricobalt explosive. We don't have any time left..."

Wing closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He turned away from the viewscreen, and headed back for his chair. "May Buddah give peace to the dead..." After the prayer, he said: "Transporter room, get a lock on any human biosigns and beam them directly to sickbay. Top priority."

Just as the _Northstar_ entered into transporter range, the Mushorian transport went up, destroyed from the inside out...

And McGawan watched, as he got out of the turbolift, in horror, as the Mushorian transport was obliterated. "Any hope of survivors?"

Doc chased Kim out of the lift, after McGawan took command of his ship. There were still draperies on the bridge, covering incomplete duty stations. Kim found a science station, and scanned the debris.

As he scanned, Wing surrendered command to McGawan with: "It's good to see you, Sir."

"Hold on," McGawan said. "Harry?"

Kim came back out, shaking his head. "No one, Sir. I am reading organic fragments only, most of it imbedded into the hull fragments that are left over. But..."

"So pointless," McGawan said, shaking his head in somber thought. "To hunt a species to extinction and for what? A mass genocide for what reason? Because of _us_?"

"Captain?" Dallas broke. "Should I set a course for Stoma? There could be survivors there at least—"

McGawan shook his head. "Stoma is in Negarani Space now. We don't have the resources, with an incomplete starship, to go after any survivors. When the _Gulfstream_ gets back, I'll send Captain Daniels out there. This is just incredibly pathetic." McGawan felt the pain of yet another failure on his record. "I should've been killed with them..."

"We did all we could-"

"Did we?" McGawan faced off with Kim. "Did we _really_ do what we could to save these people?"

A beat of odd silence followed.

McGawan shook his head. "We should've done more. I _could_ have done more. But..." Another beat. "We didn't do anything to save them." He shook his head. "So sad..."

Again, Dallas broke an awkward silence. "What are your orders, Captain?"

McGawan sighed, taking the command chair. "There's nothing more we can do here, except make a report to Starfleet Command. So, that being the case in point, Crewman, set your course back to base."

"Aye, Captain." Dallas turned about at his station and complied.

**STOMA**

**Three Weeks Later...**

"Over here!"

Stuffed in EVA suits, the away team from the _Gulfstream_ combed the debris of the capitol city of Stoma. Commander Jennifer O'Riley scanned the area with a tricorder, and found something. As a few crewmembers came by, the helped to move some debris. And they found a sealed entry way.

O'Riley scanned the inside of the entry way. "The air is still pure down there! Away team to _Gulfstream_. Can you get a tranporter lock inside this entrance?" She uploaded the information to the _Gulfstream_.

Onboard, Captain Nicolai Daniels had a science officer run a scan of the entry. As the officer nodded, Daniels approved. "We'll beam you back to the ship and take you through the biofilters before setting you down inside that entrance. Understood?"

O'Riley readied herself. "Standing by, Captain."

**STARBASE 248**

**Three Days Later...**

"Report!"

As McGawan came into Ops, Kim put a situation display on the viewscreen. "We just got this from Captain Daniels. They're under attack, and they're coming here at high warp."

"What's he doing?"

"Trying to get us to support him," Wing surmised.

"Well, that puts _us_ in a bad position," McGawan said. "Once the _Gulfstream_ is in range, bring the shields up. Red alert!"

Six ships dropped out of warp. The _Gulfstream_ came out, along with five Negarani attack friggates. They all started to open fire on the station. However, the station fought back with some quantom torpedoes that destroyed three friggates, leaving two left with the _Gulfstream_. They, however, got smart... and headed out of the system.

After the _Gulfstream_ docked with the station, Doc and a hand full of station medics rushed to the _Gulfstream_'s sickbay, with McGawan and Daniels close behind, walking slowly.

"It wasn't easy," Daniels was saying to McGawan as they walked down the corridor. "We got into the system, and were attacked. We fended them off, but they came back in a much larger force. We took out four of them before we were able to make it to warp... barely."

"What did you find?" McGawan wondered.

"Well..."

Daniels lead McGawan into a cargo bay. There, ship's medics were treating what seemed like almost thousands of refugees. "I thought..."

But really, the number was: "We found 400 in a makeshift shelter. Mostly, they were construction workers and lucky bastards who found their way underground. Mostly men, too. Almost no women. And what women there were..."

"You mean..."

"This species will be extinct in 20 years, give or take a month or two," Daniels said, somberly. "But at least some will have a chance."

"This just punctuates what the Negarani did to these people," McGawan said. "And what they are capable of. I will never underestimate them again, Nick. Never." At that moment, he turned to Daniels. "We need help out here, and we need it badly. When I make my report to Command, it's not going to be pretty."

"Whatever I can do to help," Daniels said.

"I appreciate it," McGawan noted. "Believe me, we need all the help out here if we're going to clean this place up."

McGawan glanced inside of the crowded cargo bay. Still, so many refugees... and yet, the end of a species. Most are still sick, or showing symptoms of the pleague that the Negarani spread on Stoma.

The Negarani... a ruthless enemy. With no regard for life itself. It is the mission of Starbase 248 to rid the Negarani menace. Looking at what happened here over the last month, McGawan believed, it's as clear as ever now, that the Federation is needed here. As long as terror haunts this sector... McGawan will be there to defeat it. One way... or another.

**Executive Producer**

**Man of Trek Lore**

**Cast   
  
Bruce McGawan**

**Kaori Nakajima   
**

**Harry Kim**

**Tao Xan Nu Wing**

**Michael Dallas**

**Special Guests   
**

**Negarani Militants**

**J'dan**

**Pax Gul**

**Tan Shul**

**Attendant**

**Mer Ila**

**STAR TREK   
STARBASE 248**

**Executive Producer   
Man of Trek Lore**

**Executive Consultant   
Midnight Dove**

**Main Characters Created by   
Man of Trek Lore**

**Based upon "STAR TREK" Created by   
Gene Roddenberry**

**STAR TREK**

**Executive Producer   
Rick Berman   
Brannon Bragga   
Manny Coto**

**©2004 Paramount Pictures   
©2004 Man of Trek Lore**

**This is a work of FICTION. Any or all events portrayed in this story are   
made up of FICTIONAL elements. Any simililarity to actual events, or   
living people, is entirely coincidental.**

**STAR TREK is ©1966-2004 Paramount Pictures. This work is a work of FAN- MADE FICTION. It is made for the sole purpose of entertaining the fans, ONLY. No profit is being sought by the release of this production. As a work of FAN FICTION, the production staff is NOT affiliated with Paramount Television, Pictures, or any departement that deals officially with STAR   
TREK production.**

**No copyright infringement intended.**

**Characters and properties are all ©Paramount Pictures**

**All rights reserved under copyright law.**

**If you wish to give feedback, please feel free to freely REVIEW this story.**

**For Japanese language story, please make request in the REVIEWS.   
**

**©2004 Paramount Pictures **

**ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF**

**STAR TREK**

**STARBASE 248**

A blockade Begins!

When Starfleet gets wind of this, through Starbase 248, Starfleet orders a contingent of its resources diverted to 248, as more worlds begin to hit the poverty line. Thusly, he orders the launch of a totally refitted, re-vamped, ready-to-kick-ass _U.S.S. Northstar_. When the Negarani attempt to attack the _Northstar_, all hell breaks lose. Can McGawan manage to undo the blockade?

Find out on the next episode of

**STAR TREK STARBASE 248**


End file.
